A warm thank you to a midwife...To God be ALL Glory

 

Mizz'Jane Mitchell, the Town's midwife,

 

Chil'ren of her own and a full life.

 

I'm sho'dem ole hands picked cotton, cooked and sew'd,

 

You made time to go down Lothrop ole'dirt road.

 

Wut made ha' do dis iz beyond me, I say,

 

Dalivin' dem baa'beez night and day.

 

...a negro boy waz bone on April one,

 

Only you, Maud and God knows how many hours of labor before it was over and done.

 

You alls waz some strong women back in dem day's Mizz'Jane,

 

By the Grace of God we all overcame.

 

A extended Thanks to you Mizz'Jane Mitchell, we owed you's at least dat,

 

From all the new generation descendants of John Womack.

 

Ole'what a great story untold,

 

Thank God by then, dem baa'beez waz not bartered and sold.

 

Rest in peace Mizz'Jane Mitchell, we will see you soon,

 

Yes, up yonder in dat uppa'room.

 

 

 

A warm Thanks to all those that struggled through those trying days.

 

God is Good, yes He is!

 

 



The Life of Ras Womack, Junior - Son of Ras Womack and Maud Harris

This was certainly no April Fool prank, Ras Womack, Junior was born on April 1st, 1931 to Ras Womack and Maud Harris, Marshall, Harrison, Texas. Yes, another child added to the family. Ras was delivered by Jane Mitchell. She also delivered his brother Sam/Samuel Womack in 1935. His B/C shows that there were three children born and three children living.

 

 

 

I am sure that the limitation are there as far as the Census goes, 1940 was the last Census released. So, with that being said, I found very little about Ras, Junior. Seemed he fought in the Korean was and moved back to Marshall, Harrison, Texas. I did not find any marriages or children.

 

 



 

1940 Census - age 8, Marshall, Harrison, Texas

 

F. Ras Womack, age 52

 

M. Maud Harris, age 42

 

(Though his birth certificate five years earlier shows that Ras, Senior was age 46 and Mother Maud was age 34.)

 

also in the home:

 

Sam Womack, Brother, age 5

 

Willie M. Womack, Sister, age 2

 

 

It appeared he resided with his parents at 1609 Arkansas Street, Marshall, Texas in 1951 which was have made his 16 years of age. Unfortunately, Census for that year has not been released. On a 1935 - 1993 City Directory he was living at 1307 Elysian Fields Avenue, Marshall, Harrison, Texas 75670.

 

 

Ras Womack, Junior passed away in 1996.

 

 

 

The Life of Sam/Samuel Womack - Son of Ras Womack and Maud Harris

 

Sam/Samuel Womack

 

b. 1935

 

F. Ras Womack

 

M. Maud Harris

 

Marshall, Harrison, Texas

 

...the birth of Sam/Samuel Womack


Sam seemed to not have a lot going with his  life. Being the Census is only up to 1940, there is not much else found but City Directories and I did not find all of them. Though he married in 1966, there is no record of children. I searched all name variations of both first and last name.

...doodling and research

 

 

 

1940 Census - age 5, Marshall, Harrison, Texas

F. Ras Womack

M. Maud Harris Womack

also in the home:

Ras, Junior, Brother, age 8

Willie M., Sister, age 2


According to the Fold3 site, he was in the Army enlisted date 1953 to the departed date 1955.

1953 City Directory, residing with his parents...

 

1959...still residing with his parents, working a Laborer

 

 

 

 He married Dorothy Marie Carter in 1966.

 



 

 

Sam/Samuel Womack died 1983 in Marshall, Harrison, Texas.

In search of Healon/Helen Womack Shars Shears - The daughter of John Womack??

 

1910 Census - age 12 - Marshall, Harrison, Texas

 

abt. 1898

 

Healon Womack, age 12, daughter

 

F. John Womack, Alabama

 

M. Emma (?) Womack, Texas

 

listed as the daughter of John and Nellie

 

others in the home:

 

 

John Womack, 56, Alabama, Father

 

Emma (?) Womack, 50, Texas, Mother

 

(I also searched for Nellie 'Emma' Montague, no results found)

 

Ras, 14, Texas, Brother

 

Henry, 9, Texas, Brother

 

Octavia, 2, Texas, Sister

 

 

 

 

1920 Census - age 21 - Marshall, Harrison, Texas

 

abt. 1899

 

Helen Womack, age 21, daughter

 

F. Henry Womack, Texas

 

M. Gertrude (?) Womack, Texas

 

listed as the daughter of Henry and Gertrude

 

others in the home:

 

 

Henry Womack, 56, Texas, Father

 

Gertrude (?) Womack, 50, Texas, Mother

 

James, 15, Texas, Brother

 

Rube, 10, Texas, Brother

 

Gertie, 4, Texas, Sister

 

 

 

I did not  found any record of John Shears and Helen being married, though the death certificate states 'married' and her last name is 'Shars'.

 

 

I searched for the marriage record under John Shears/Shars name only.

 

I did not find any record of her having children. I searched using the above list of searches. When I search John Shears name is showed that he had children with someone else. 'Ardell Shears', John's son was the informant on Healon/Helen's death certificate. I am not sure why, John was still living.

 

City Directory confirm that they resided together at some point in the relationship.

 

 

 

...then there where City Directories that showed she may have been single in the beginning. The funny thing is, John's body was removed from Dallas to Marshall upon his death. Though one his son (Ardell) was born in Marshall, Harrison, Texas, I did not find any Censuses that showed him residing in Marshall, Texas.



Healon/Helen Womack Shars Shears' (ClM) husband - John Shears??

 

Though they resided together, there was not a marriage record found to prove that John and Helen were ever married.

 

 

Registration Card for John

 

He died in 1938...

 



 

His children w/Josephine Shannon

 

 

Ardell Shears

 

b. Marshall, Harrison, Texas 1909

 

d. Dallas, Dallas, Texas 1966

(he was the informant on Healon/Helen Womack Shars Shears' death certificate)

 

 

John Henry Shears

 

b. Dallas, Dallas, Texas 1911

 

d. no record as of this date

(it appeared he was a twin child)



The Beginning - Healon/Helen Womack Shars Shears - The daughter of John Womack??

 

As we all know that some of the slave and African American births were not documented if they child was a illegitimate (Blob ref# 139) or that was a slave birth (mulatto child). I searched and searched...and I found no birth records of Healon/Helen.

 

ancestry.com and familysearch.com, Blog ref# P2, C1 104 and 109

 



H*len Womack/Wom*

 

Hel* Womack/Wom*

H*len Wammack/Wamack, and other variations of 'Womack'

 

Hel* Wammack/Wamack, and other variations of 'Womack'

 

*elen, all variations of 'Womack'

 

*llen, all viairations of 'Womack'

 

Healon, all variations of 'Womack'

 

Helen, all viariations of 'Womack'

 

All variations of 'Helen' and all variations of 'Womack', together

 

Father search, with all variations of 'John Womack' and 'Henry Womack'

 

Mother search, with all variations of 'Emma' and 'Nellie Montague'

 

All variations of 'Womack', female, black/negro children b. abt. 1898 - 1900

 

...and all of the above searches in Marshall, Harrison, Texas and other County that the parents may have been born in.



 

Doodling and research...Healon/Helen Womack Shars Shears

Doodling and research...

US civil war pictures 1861 1865, great video

Octavia/ie Womack Roland - Daughter of John Womack

This Census show that there was a ?baby girl born in that year. The name is not list. Elize/a Montague Walton is Nellie's (Montague Womack) sister. Octavia/ie's death certificate shows that "John Womack" and Eliza/e Walton is Octavia/ie's parents. It thought that Octavia/ie is the unnamed child on this Census. Perhaps, just perhaps John Womack and Nellie raised Octavia/ie as their child.

The Beginning - Octavia/ie Womack Roland - Daughter of John Womack

 

1900 Census - age 9, abt. 1891

 

in school

 

John Womack - Father - Mississippi, age 65

 

Nellie Montague Womack  - Mother - Mississippi, age 55

 

In the home:

 

John Womack, head/Father

 

Nellie Montague Womack, wife/Mother

 

Hannah (Hillard/Hubbard/Booker-Brooks), sister, age 24

 

Eliza, sister, age 16

 

Ras, brother, age 15

 

Maggie (Payne), sister, age 12

 

 

East Border Street

 

 

 

 

 

1910 Census  - age 20, abt. 1890

 

Washwoman, Private home

 

John Womack - Father - Alabama, age 56

 

Emma (?) Womack  - Mother - Mississippi, age 55

 

In the home:

 

John Womack, head/Father

 

Emma Womack, wife/Mother

 (Nellie is not listed, unless this was a nickname for her)

 

Census show that 6 of 13 children are living.

 

Ras, brother, age 14

 

Henry, brother, age 12

 

Healon (Shars), sister, age 12

 

[Healon was born during the 1900 Census, where was she?]

  

Mauldin Street

 

 

 

 

1920 Census  - age 30, abt. 1890

 

Laundress, at home

 

John Womack - Father - Mississippi, age 70

 

Nellie Montague Womack  - Mother - Texas, age 69

 

In the home:

 

John Womack, head/Father

 

Emma Womack, wife/Mother

 (Nellie is not listed, unless this was a nickname for her)

 

Census show that 6 of 13 children are living.

 

John H., husband, age 40

 

Wilbert Womack, nephew, age 19

(he is her brother Henry's son)

 

Henry, brother, age 12

 

Nathan (Henderson) Roland, son, age 8

 

Frog Town Street

 

 

 

 

 

1930 Census  - age 36, abt. 1894

 

Laundress, at home

 

John Womack - Father - Texas, died 1924

 

Nellie Montague Womack  - Mother - Texas, age 70

 

In the home:

 

Unsure of where her husband John H. Roland is.

The 1940 Census shows M - status with a line through it and a code 7, meaning separation.

 

Nellie Montague Womack, wife/Mother, age 70, abt. 1860

 

Nathaniel (Henderson) Roland, son, age 18

 

Ella Le(?), daughter, age 4

 

Jewell, daughter, age 0, just born

 

Lizard Loop Street

 

 

 

1940 Census  - age 43, abt. 1897

 

not working

 

In the home:

 

Delma L. Hall, daughter, age 13

 

Jewel, daughter, age 9

 

Hanah Booker (Hillard/Hubbard-Brooks), sister, age 66, no job

 

Lizard Loop Street

 

 

 

City Directories

 

I did not find all of the City Directories.

 

 

 

Children

 

Nathan Roland - died as Sgt. Nathaniel Henderson

 

Ella Le Roland/Hall - died as Velma Lois Lister

 

Jewell Roland - died as Mary Jewel Walker Simpson

 

 



African American Civil War Memorial Wall

[this picture does not belong to me]

African American Civil War Memorial Wall, I love this picture!

 

"the colored regiments or troops" including John Womack (Wammack), my Great, Great, Grandfather of Marshall, Harrison, Texas (died 1924).

 



John Womack (Wammack) - Clue#9 - Military Record

No matter how hard I tried or I just simply overlooked the military record of my Great, Great Grandfather John Womack (Wammack). I got a call early on in the day from the Marshall, Texas Public Library in which a very sweet young lady assisted me in finding the record. When I called, I kind of dread the moments being that I mailed/emailed the third notice to them on this morning. Anywhoo, she walked me through every step meaning name variations and rather or not it was Confederate or Union. I was literally sweating because every found piece  of the puzzle is making my family history more and more of a clear finished puzzle that will turn out to be absolutely beautiful. I have to first give honor to the Man above, without Him, nothing is possible!

Here is the big news, my Great, Great Grandfather's military record...

John Wammack, displayed on the African American Civil War Memorial Wall.

 

John Womack - Clue#8 - Marshall, Texas Public Library (3rd request via mail/email)

 

I have not received anything from the Marshall, Texas Public Library as of this date. I resent a letter and email in regards to my search. This will be the third request. I do understand that a great deal of 1890 Census were destroyed. Hopefully, I will soon receive a reply from the Marshall, Texas Public Library that will give me further clues about my Great, Great Grandfather John Womack of Marshall, Harrison, Texas.

Copy of email forwarded to Marshall, Texas Public Library 300 South Alamo Blvd. Marshall, Texas 75670

Discussions About Death - Black Communities - Funerals

Discussions About Death

Racial Integrity Act of 1924 - birth certificates

Racial Integrity Act of 1924

Finally a calendar...

 

An awesome tool for tracking sent letters, responses, interview appointments, seminars, quick notes when you are out and about and other family tree related entries.

Marshall, Texas Public Library - response Bernard Wilson - Permer Bernard Payne

 

I received a ton of information from the Marshall, Texas Public Library and unfortunately it was some of the same information (military and the 1940 Census) that I already had. I really appreciate all of the work put into gathering the information. I will continue using their services.



Longview and Marshall, Texas Searches, continued searching

Bernard Wilson
B. Wilson
B. Wil*
Wilson, black male
Wilson, Father, black male
Bernard Lewis
B. Lewis
B. Lew*
Lewis, black male
Lewis, variations - Louis
Permer/Palmer Payne
Permer/Palmer B. Payne
Permer/Palmer Pay*
Payne, Father, black male
Pain, Father, black male
P. B. Payne
P.B. Lewis

 

Bernard Wilson - Permer Bernard Payne - Clue#9

 

Today, was a wonderful day. I visited the Dallas National Cemetery to locate the gave of Bernard Wilson - Permer Bernard Payne. I mentioned before that it was absolutely beautiful. I did locate his grave and the most exciting part of it all was there was a Christmas reef at nearly all of the of the gravesites/headstones. A Merry Christmas to all of those that served our country, a true Blessing.

 

 

 

Rest In Peace

 

I also received a response from Marshall, Texas Public Library, and it was some of the same information that I already had. Though, I truly enjoyed the trip to Dallas, Texas, I do think that he internet rather than the library will be the next best thing for family tree research.